It will be possible to learn to drive with your parents

Getting a driving licence in Portugal is about to change. The Government has approved a new framework that allows candidates for a category B driving licence to learn how to drive with a tutor, as an alternative to the mandatory practical lessons at driving schools. In practice, it will now be possible to learn how to drive with parents, grandparents or other family members, as long as certain requirements are met.

The measure was approved by the Council of Ministers and is part of a broader set of changes under the Mobility 2.0 plan, with the aim of making the driving licence process simpler, more accessible and better suited to today’s reality.

Who can learn to drive with a tutor

The new framework applies to candidates aged 18 or over who wish to obtain a category B driving licence, intended for light vehicles up to 3,500 kg and with a maximum of nine seats. Theoretical lessons will continue to be provided by driving schools, but practical driving no longer has to be carried out exclusively with a professional instructor.

The tutor does not need specific training. It is sufficient to hold a valid driving licence and be registered in the candidate’s process. According to the Government, this solution allows knowledge to be passed on between generations, such as from parents to children, without compromising road safety.

Despite this flexibility, the role of driving schools does not disappear. Before the driving test, it is up to the schools to assess whether the student needs additional practical lessons to ensure they are properly prepared.

Driving test remains mandatory

Even with this change, the driving test remains mandatory and continues to be a central element of the process. The aim of the new framework is not to reduce standards, but to diversify learning paths, ensuring that all candidates reach the test with the necessary knowledge and skills.

The Minister for Infrastructure and Housing, Miguel Pinto Luz, stressed that the model was designed to safeguard all dimensions of road safety, ensuring control, monitoring and assessment throughout the process.

Exams in foreign languages and rules for foreign citizens

The changes are not limited to driving instruction. It will also become possible to take driving tests in a foreign language, a particularly relevant change for foreign citizens living and working in Portugal.

In addition, the recognition of foreign driving licences will now be aligned with the duration of the residence permit, creating greater clarity and predictability for those coming from abroad.

A simpler and more accessible process

With this new framework, the Government aims to reduce costs, simplify procedures and adapt the system to current needs, without diminishing the importance of driving schools or the final exam. Learning with a tutor emerges as an additional option, giving families and future drivers greater freedom.

These new rules represent a significant change in how people learn to drive in Portugal and are expected to have a direct impact on those planning to obtain a driving licence in the near future.

This evolution in the driving learning process adds to other important changes at both European and national level, such as the recent green light from the European Union for the digital driving licence and the possibility of driving from the age of 17 — measures designed to modernise the system and make it even more accessible and better adapted to new realities.

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Sources: Expresso, Jornal de Notícias and Jornal de Negócios